Chapter 75: Chapter 75: System's Ascension - 3

The wind howled over the wall, carrying the stench of Locus. Lucien, Raelar, and Selene stood motionless, their eyes fixed on the phenomenon unfolding beneath their feet.

Lucien gripped the parapet, his usually calculating eyes scanning the cone forming below with an almost feverish intensity.

"Impossible," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the roar of the Locus.

The inverted cone, an aberration in the sea of monsters, began to slowly blur.

"Fascinating," Raelar whispered, his voice hushed in awe.

"Fascinating isn't the word I'd use," Selene retorted, her tone laden with tension. "Dangerous, perhaps. Potentially catastrophic, certainly."

Lucien remained silent, his face a mask of calm with undertones of... guilt? His eyes surveyed the scene: the gradually rising cone, the surrounding sea of monsters churning, creating waves of chitin and fury that crashed against the wall's base.

"The soldiers are restless," Lucien finally said, breaking his silence. "We need to control this before rumors spiral out of our control."

Raelar nodded, his mind already working on possible solutions. "We could say it's an anomaly in Locus behavior. A natural phenomenon that will resolve itself."

Selene snorted in disbelief. "Natural? This is about as natural as the mana barrier flowing upwards. The soldiers aren't fools."

"They don't need to believe it," Lucien said, his voice carrying an authority that brooked no argument. "They just need to repeat it until we find a better explanation."

"Or until the truth catches up with us," Raelar murmured, his gaze fixed on the still-deforming cone.

The three exchanged glances. Years of working together allowed them to communicate without words, understanding what was at stake.

"Raelar," Lucien began, "could you handle the soldiers? Use whatever necessary: veiled threats, promises of rewards, whatever works. No one outside this section of the wall should know what's happening."

Raelar nodded, comprehending the task. "I'll take care of it. But we'll need a more solid explanation soon. Uncertainty will only fuel rumors."

"We'll work on that," Lucien assured. He then turned to Selene. "We need to block information for now. Discreetly."

Selene flashed a wry smile. "When have I ever been indiscreet?"

Mana: 19. Meters: 122

Elio's head spun, his vision blurring intermittently. He fought against the vertigo, acutely aware that a moment of weakness could be fatal.

Four more meters of agonizing climbing. Each movement was torment, his muscles screaming in protest. The air grew thinner, making each breath a laborious task.

A group of Locus converged towards him, drawn by his movement. Elio was forced to use another helium gust to disperse them.

Mana: 18. Meters: 134.

The impulse carried him to a section where Locus were falling in greater numbers. Elio struggled to find stable footholds, each second a battle against being dragged downwards.

Three more meters, gained inch by excruciating inch. Elio could feel his strength waning, each movement consuming his fading reserves.

A Locus fell directly on top of him. Elio barely had time to react, his instincts taking over where his conscious mind faltered.

Mana: 17. Meters: 151.

Three more meters of desperate ascent.

Battling against gravity, exhaustion, and the mass of monsters threatening to engulf him.

Four more meters of frantic climbing. Elio moved on pure instinct now, his mind clouded by exhaustion and oxygen deprivation. Each decision was a roll of the dice, each movement a wager against death.

Three more meters, gained through sheer force of will. Elio could feel his strength ebbing away, like sand through an hourglass.

A Locus leapt just above him, its mandibles open in a threatening roar. Elio reacted on pure reflex.

Mana: 16. Meters: 149.

The helium gust sent the monster flying, but also pushed Elio backwards. For a terrifying moment, he felt himself falling. His hands scrabbled desperately at a monster's back, seeking anything to grasp.

He managed to grab onto a Locus's leg, his body swinging precariously over the abyss. Sweat made his hands slippery, and for a moment, he thought this would be his end.